The Ruin of the Worldbreaker
by RahXephon
Summary: After the events of Planet Hulk, the Hulk and his warbound escape the dying world of Sakaar with their stone spaceship through the Great Portal to another universe. But will his rule be enough to keep the disparate races together, or will they blame the death of their planet on the Worldbreaker? Destruction and ruin seem to follow the Hulk's every footstep. Is peace unattainable?
1. The Lament of Sakaar

January 7, 2009

**Author's Notes:** This is probably one of my more stupider ideas. I was reading the Planet Hulk, World War Hulk and Skaar comics and I could not help but weep at the massive amounts of tragedy filled within its pages. Nothing I have ever read before could compare to the sheer misfortune the Hulk endured. Forget Shakespeare and all the other classic tearjerkers. Nothing could wrench your heart more than the story of the Hulk.

That is why I resolved to write an alternative story where Hulk doesn't get too much sadness in his life. Not that everything will go perfect in his life, but I just want to give him the small ounce of happiness he deserves.

No prior knowledge about the Hulk or the Planet Hulk story arc is needed to understand this fic. Any element in this story will be written as a standalone. I plan to include a lot of original material that is not derived from any existing franchise, so do not be surprised if you come across many unfamiliar things. Keep in mind however that this fic is Hulk-centric.

**Summary:** After the events of Planet Hulk, the Hulk and his warbound escape the dying world of Sakaar with their stone spaceship through the Great Portal to another universe. But will his rule be enough to keep the disparate races together, or will they blame the death of their planet on the Worldbreaker? Destruction and ruin seem to follow the Hulk's every footstep. Is peace unattainable?

**Disclaimer: **I do not claim any rights to the Hulk.

* * *

_**The **__**Ruin of the Worldbreaker**_

_The Lament of Sakaar_

* * *

**SAKAAR.**

The savage planet. The wartorn planet. Now, the Green King's planet. Long ago, the most pre-eminent superheroes of Earth known as the Illuminati had flung the Green Scar from their planet. Hurled into space, the Sakaarson was trapped in a space vessel bound to a vacant planet full of youth and simplicity.

It was not to be.

In his glorious rage, the Hulk defied his betrayers and smashed a hole through his ship. Through a cruel twist of fate, his ship swerved and flew through a portal of mystical energies that had landed him on Sakaar. The strongest ruler of the half-tamed planet quickly subdued the Hulk with the power of technology. Enslaved through an unknown device on his chest, the Hulk was forced to fight in brutal gladiatorial battles against odds that would annihilate any other mortal being.

Except the **Hulk**.

For every blow, for every slash, for every single strike, the Hulk grew angry. With aid of the Silver Savage, the Hulk tore free from the mental constrictions of the Imperials' slavery. With his escape, he was joined by other former slaves and soldiers who saw their hope in his strength. **Korg** the Kronan. **Miek** the Native. **Hiroim** the Shamed. **Elloe Kaifi**. **No-Name **of the Brood. And **Caiera** the Oldstrong. With the allegiance of his Warbound companions, the Hulk tore apart the fabric of Imperial society. Together, they incited rebellion against the tyrannical Red King and took the crown by blood. The Hulk became a King, and with a pregnant Caiera by his side, a new age dawned upon the world of Sakaar.

It was not to be.

**-WARP CORE COMPRIMI****ZED-**

The Illuminati's final message began to play yet again. "Time and time again, your anger and power have threatened the entire planet. So when we learned that Fury sent you into space, we had to seize the opportunity. I have always thought of us as friends, Bruce. So I am truly, genuinely sorry. But for your sake and ours, we're sending you away. It's the only way we can be sure."

BEEP BEEP BEEP

When the Earthen space ship that had carried the Hulk to Sakaar began to show signs of going into meltdown, the stab of betrayal began to seep deep in the Green King's heart. The red-skinned Imperials and the insectoid Natives did not have a clue what was about to erupt. Even Caiera did not suspect a disaster. But not the Hulk. Hulk knew technology, knew how puny Banner tinkered with devices for some stupid purpose. Deep within the mind of Hulk, the frantic voice of Bruce began to pound.

BEEP BEEP BEEP

"But I believe in my heart that this may be the greatest opportunity of your life. We picked your destination carefully. A lush planet, full of vegetation and game. But no intelligent lifeforms. There will be no on there to hurt you. And no one you can hurt. You always said you wanted to be left alone... May you finally find peace."

"Stupid..."

The Hulk sprinted quickly to the wreck, lifted the metal ship above his head with his incredible green muscles and flung it as far away as he could in the sky.

"Puny..."

It was not to be.

"...Humans!"

The ship had flown only for a few hundred meters before it detonated above the greatest civilized city on the planet. A yellow burst of heat and force erupted from the centre of the blast, annihilating every form of life and crumbling every building in its wake. The Hulk desperately tried to shield Caiera from the ravages of the nova, holding her lithe grey form in his massive arms.

"CAIERA!" He shouted, as the power of technology began to wash against his back. His wife had called upon the powers of the Shadow People to turn him into stone, protecting him from destruction but leaving herself exposed. The Hulk did not accept her sacrifice. Nothing mattered more than the life of his wife. "Take your stone form for yourself!"

"No Holku! I will not leave you to the mercies of the—"

"It doesn't matter!" The hulk hollered into the roaring winds. "You carry our child!"

The queen spent a brief moment touching his husband's cheek, afraid of a life without his presence, but her king was right. She carried another life in her womb, and the loss of her unborn child would be an even greater tragedy to her. Reluctantly, she withdrew the stone from the Hulk and took on the stone for herself. Seeing his wife prepared, the Hulk began to grip her waist into a single palm and flung her to the endless sky and into the depth of space.

The Green Scar was left alone, mere moments away from utter annihilation from the main wave front of the blast. The sight of the ever-heatening flames disheartened his spirit, until that same puny human voice that warned him of the explosion began to speak yet again.

It was not the humans who engineered the explosion. The ship's drive had drained itself from all its energies when the ship was pulled into the Great Portal. It was impossible for it to have the power to shatter the planet.

No, someone put another engine in the wreck, then moved it in the middle of the city. Someone _wanted_ it to explode.

A traitor.

There was a traitor in their midst who was willing to wipe out millions of lives. Like Iron Man. Like Dr. Strange. Like Mr. Fantastic. Like the Black Bolt. They were scared of the Hulk. They used him when they needed him, but scorned him as a monster the moment he wasn't needed anymore. No doubt the orchestrator of the explosion intended to wipe him off the face of the planet and take the remains for himself. The voice in the Green King's head egged him on, turning his thoughts away from despair and towards his building rage.

If there was one universal law, it was if the **madder** Hulk gets, the **stronger **Hulk gets.

"PUUUUUNY HUUUUUMAAAAAAANNSSSS!"

**WHOOOOOOOSSHHH!**

Then, there was nothing.

* * *

Caiera of the Shadow People ascended into space, looking back towards Sakaar as a mighty pillar of flame and fury expanded to engulf a part of her precious planet. Her Old Power screamed out to her, crying out its agony through her connection with the soil. The planet was cracking, its fragile tectonic plates already fracturing in pieces and sinking in a terrible ocean of lava. Nothing pained her more than to see the life of the planet leaking out, red tendrils of lava expanding outwards as an ever-expanding crack. Oh how she wailed as she reached the apex of her flight, her stone form protecting her from the cold dark embrace of vacuum but leaving her unable to form tears. Holku was down there, and as powerful as he was, he was still a being of flesh and blood. Already she could feel the rage bubbling beneath the surface of Sakaar, its seas of red and black beginning to churn in increasing turbulence. There was no doubt to the source of that deep, primal anger.

'_Oh Holku... Oh Sakaar...'_

The planet pulled her back in its embrace, its rage and confusion grasping out to her Old Power. She let the planet take her back. After all, where else would she go? The searing hot winds whipped around her as she broke through the upper layers of the atmosphere. Sheering winds whipped up at her as the smoke of Sakaar's rage blinded her. She was not afraid. She was of the Oldstrong, and the planet was her ancestor. Still, she slowed her flight as best she could, spreading out her arms and legs in a largely fruitless attempt to increase her drag. Once the worst of the smoke faded out, she was able to see the open wound on young and ancient shell of Sakaar. Instinctively, she aimed her fall towards the center of the carnage, towards the source of the roaring echo in the plains of the Old Power. Though she was several leagues away, the burning scar had eagerly pulled her towards its rage, feeding off her strength in order to further fan the flames and seek out thousands more lives to burn.

**BOOM!**

Her landing was far from graceful, but she landed true. The crater she had formed was already threatening to be filled by lava. As quickly as she could, Caiera leaped towards higher ground. Her eyes surveyed the scenes of devastation. Half-charred skeletons. Crumbled structures. And lingering all around her were the dying screams of millions of people, all snuffed together in the expanse of a single minute. Her despair caught up with her as she realized that the spot where Holku had stood once before was empty and charred.

Caiera collapsed on her knees, feebly grasping the ashes of Holku's remains.

The tears began to burst, not from her eyes, but from her skin as her hold on her stone form crumbled. Distraught, she stayed silent as she brushed her fingers through the soot, hoping for a sign of life but knowing it was not so. Seconds, minutes, hours passed on as she sat on the scorched earth numb with grief. Where would she be without her one true love? Who would her future child look up to when he or she grew older?

She had never felt so alone.

Even after the ancient stone ship that once brought her people to this dying world hovered near her, she felt no life left inside of her. Footsteps crunched closer to her, but she need not to turn her head to see who was there. Her connection to the earth was strong, and she could instantly detect the presence of the Green King's warbound. They all stopped a few paces away, except for a single individual. Only Hiroim dared to tread closer, his calming sadness soothing her injured soul. Though he could not wield the Old Power directly, he was formidable in manipulating the webs of Shadow. All of her people could to some degree. She respected his knowledge and wisdom, as well as his will and level-headedness. If there was one person left alive who could understand her pain, it was her former enemy.

"Where... where's the Hulk?"

"I.." Caiera started, the words hurting her heart too much for her to speak them out. "I could have saved him, with my Old Power. But he saved me instead."

"Wait." Miek let out, his insectoid face in shock. "No no no -kik- no.."

The Oldstrong spoke with an air of finality. "Yes. The planet speaks to me. He is gone."

"But he is the Hulk!" Miek exclaimed. "Nothing can -kik- kill him!"

**BRAAAAKOOOOOOM!**

"He's coming! Two-hands! I knew you'd live!"

"No Miek!" Korg called out, and went after the hysterical giant insect as they both headed straight towards a raging inferno. "Those are just the aftershocks, come on before—"

"GRAAAAAAAAAHHHRR!"

"Miek!"

"No!"

Brood's anguish was palpable as she saw the only other insect warbound companion go up in smoke and flame. Korg stood shocked at the spot, the flames beginning to superheat his stone exterior. Only Hiroim could see the danger they all faced if they stayed any longer.

"Elloe!" Hiroim called to the Imperial. Though she lost her mother not an hour ago, he could rely on her discipline. "It's not safe here. Take Caiera back up the ramp."

When the red-skinned girl snapped out of her spell and moved to obey, Hiroim grasped his other companion and began to drag him back to the ship. Though Korg was a being of immovable stone, the Shadow Priest's strength was enough to push the Kronan into a walk. They gathered at the top of the ramp and looked out to the raging seas of lava one last time. They had lost much.

"We must leave." The Shadow Priest stated sympathetically. "The Green Scar has left his mortal shell, but his rage is continuing to fuel the madness beneath our feet."

"... Why?" Caiera asked in futility. "Why am I left alive while my king is dead?"

"He lives on, my queen, in your heart and womb."

She stayed silent for a moment, but then jumped back out into the unstable soil. Her mind resolved, she touched the angry earth with her supple hand and began to draw upon the planet's life.

"What is she doing?" Korg asked, amazed at the intensity of light that surrounded Caiera.

"Bear witness, Korg. She is the Oldstrong." Hiroim paused to make sense of the weavings of the Old Power. "Her power comes from the planet itself. Now she gives it back, to heal what the humans have broken."

"No." Caiera called out, her voice resolute and her eyes steeled in rage. "Now I take it ALL!"

As she spread out her arms, the ground beneath began to crack all around them. The very crust of the planet began to tear apart as the Old Power that had stabilized it began to leave the surface of the earth and begin to draw into Caiera. Vast primordial power converged towards her location, the very rage of Sakaar but fuel for her hatred. She did not think of the consequences, of the millions and billions of other lives that would perish at the result of her actions. It mattered little, for the planet was doomed to its end in a month in any case. She could redeem herself in one other action though.

"Oh relics of the distant past, I call upon your strength to do what I cannot. Awaken from your slumber and salvage the legacy of my dying planet."

And with a single flare of energy, she willed the remaining dormant ships to come alive from their different resting places. All over the planet, a dozen of huge stone ships began to break from the earth they were buried beneath and converged to the closest intact population centers. Though the vessels could carry thousands, it would not be able to bear all who were deserving of a new life. Such was the tragedy that had plagued Sakaar from its very moment of existence.

Her will be done, Caiera jumped back inside the ship. She took one measured look at Hiroim. "Save as many survivors as this ship can support. Then plot a course for Earth. The humans must pay."

As her iron greaves clanged against the stone floor, Hiroim bowed his head in obedience. After Caiera was out of sight, he directed his attention to the remaining warbound. They all stared at his grey visage and his black tribal tattoos.

"I will go to the bridge to coordinate the rescue effort with ARCH-E-5912. Korg, since you are the most resistant to heat, you should herd any survivors to the ship. Elloe, you are in charge of settling the Imperials. Brood, likewise for the Native insectoids. If you have time, scavenge for any food and machines. We'll need it to survive more than a week in space. The ship contains barely any supplies."

The following hours were spent in mundane matters. There was hardly any life left in the ruins of the capital city, so the ship travelled on a straight path towards the next nearest city, descending several times along the way to pick up groups of stragglers. The grateful refugees were mostly farmers and Natives, but there were also a few former Shadow People slaves. They had also picked up a substantial group of Wildebots, with some hesitation from the ship's increasing population. The skeptics were reluctantly swayed over by ARCH-E that his brothers would be useful in upgrading the ship's capabilities. While the feral robots once posed a menace to civilized society, the ending of the world had convinced them of the necessity of cooperating.

When the ship reached the disintegrating city of Okini, the remaining survivors poured in like a flood. The warbound and their enforcers were barely able to hold order, but Elloe managed to force the local leaders to cede their authority. With the city folk came a few essential supplies and manufacturing components. While the masses of people strained organization, Elloe and Brood managed to direct the heaviest hands in looting the Imperial research center where every extraterrestrial object that came through the Great Portal was stored.

A final great rumbling began to erupt, and the workers all frantically dropped what they were carrying and scrambled up into the hold of the ship.

"ARCH-E! Bring us up!" Hiroim commanded, his own two hands busy working on his own controls as best he could. He was not adept at manipulating technology, but he was one of the few on the ship who could read the Shadow Script.

"The engines are straining their maximum, but the additional weight is slowing us down. It will take fifteen minutes to escape the atmosphere!"

"Prophets be damned!" Hiroim cursed, slamming his fist against his console. "The planet is in its final stages of its death throes. We don't have enough time before it cracks apart!"

Nothing could be done to lift the stone ship faster in the sky. "Unless..." Hiroim abandoned his station and ran down the corridors, barely knowing the way inside the huge labyrinth but somehow able to rely on his senses to guide him in the right direction. He stopped at a huge door, its twin stone slabs closed and sealed to any of the outside world. He regretted his following action, but he had to do what must be done. As he entered the access code to the keypad to the side, the ancient doors pushed open, revealing an empty cavernous room and a giant stone bed in the middle. Caiera, his queen, sat forlorn on the purple sheets, her eyes empty with tears. Hiroim carefully made his way to her, and dropped to his knee.

"My queen. We have gathered as much survivors as we could. The ship is leaving orbit, but it is moving too slow to escape the death of Sakaar. You must do something, Caiera."

Disturbingly, the tall women didn't respond to his request. She sat as rigid as the stone she drew her power upon as the memories of her love overwhelmed her connection to the present. Hiroim repeated his request, but Caiera showed no move towards action. He had to do something drastic.

As he drew himself up and approached the fragile queen, Caiera suddenly snapped her head down and focused her eyes towards an indiscriminate direction. With the suddenness of a leaping predator, she jumped to her feet and ran out the door, knocking Hiroim aside as he wondered what had begun to possess her. He picked himself up and followed in her wake, the loud sounds of metal footsteps his guide. He followed her down the upper corridors, the winding circular stairs, the vast open cargo hold before stopping to a closed cargo hatch. With not a single ounce of hesitation, Caiera sprung forth a fraction of her Old Power, commanding the hatch to open. The ever-shrinking land of Sakaar was barely visible in the distance between the thickness of smoke and ash. Caiera spent only a moment to hone in on a particular spot, then took a graceful dive at the astonishment of everyone.

"Caiera no!"

It was far too late though. Hiroim looked distraught at the apparent act of suicide.

"Hiroim, what—"

"I do not know, Korg. What madness she had caught she did not share with me."

**B—LM!**

A pulse of immense energy passed over the ship, knocking almost everyone of their feet. The wave seemed to originate from the planet's surface.

"What is that?" Elloe asked. "Is it the Old Power, or.."

"No." The Shadow Priest spoke with conviction. "It is not of my people, but it is magic strong and old. I have never felt anything such as this in my life, except for..."

Clang!

Caiera's stone-formed feet crashed on the surface of the cargo deck as she collapsed in unknown agony. The warbound quickly approached her sickly form as she shed her stone skin.

"What..."

Elloe's words trailed off as they all noticed a single male form in the arms of Caiera. It was a peculiar creature, thin but mildly muscled. Its hair was of a strange shade of brown, while its skin was of a shockingly pale shade of pink. The man was naked and unconscious, its chest heaving up and down in a slow, steady rhythm.

"That.." No-Name of the Brood started, her own eyes wide in surprise. "Is a human. From Earth!"

The female Imperial immediately drew her spear. "The Green Scar's enemy. We must kill it."

"No." Hiroim commanded loudly, making sure his voice was heard in the entire cavern. "Our queen, your queen has brought him here for a reason. Until we can ascertain Caiera's reasons, we must take measures to keep this individual alive. Take him to a secure but _comfortable_ room, Elloe."

Grumbling softly to herself, she ordered a pair of Imperials to bring a stretcher to carry the strange human away. Seeing that it was being dealt with, Hiroim brought his attention to the sweating form of Caiera. Though her stone form could keep her invulnerable from the heat of lava, it seemed whatever she did had drained much of her strength.

"Caiera.. the planet... I know not what you have done, but it is still going to explode. You must do something before its destruction threatens to destroy us as well."

She didn't respond for a moment as she recovered from her ordeal. Finally, she weakly lifted her eyelids and glanced around the area. "Where is.. him.."

"He is safe, my queen. We brought him to a bed where he can rest and recuperate."

The Oldstrong smiled as her head shook in strain. "I am glad... then.. I can.." And she lifted up her hand, the Old Power coursing through her palm and out to the roof of the giant cargo bay. Unknown systems whirred to life and for a moment, people thought the ship was about to break apart. The noise disappeared though, leaving the ship in its silent hum. Only the harsh winds from the open cargo hatch provided any noise, but Korg quickly moved to close it. Hiroim looked in puzzlement for a moment.

"What have you done, my queen?"

The smile never left her lips. "A way out."

As the planet began to rip apart in huge continent-sized chunks, the stone ship began to glow in an ethereal shade of blue. Its crystal engines sputtered for a moment as its power was diverted from providing thrust to providing power to another component. The blue surrounding the ship then blasted forwards, rotating along itself as it shot out in front of the ship. The circle stabilized itself for a moment then, turning itself into a large portal able to transport the ship instantaneously to another sector in space. The ship headed straight towards it, and was about to go through the portal unscathed if not for one final event.

In its dying lament, the great savage planet of Sakaar left one final legacy to the fleeing stone ship. A large chunk of lava and rock the size of an apartment building had blasted itself from a larger fragment and sailed towards the ship with rapid speed. Before ARCH-E could instruct the ship to dodge, the fragment collided against the huge crystal rods at the stern of the ship, damaging some of the thin crystals and putting more out of alignment. The portal crackled suddenly, its vague circular shape deforming to a wobbling ellipse. Electric currents rankled along its edge as the portal took a deep red hue. Before anyone could do anything else, the stone ship flew right through the unstable portal towards an unknown destination.

Out in deep space, far from any celestial object, a strange reddish portal appeared. Mere moments later, a strangely curved warship up to one-and-a-half kilometre long flew through. The portal then deformed itself out of existence, leaving a single silent ship dead in unknown space, far away from any watching eyes.

The ship had arrived.

* * *

Some time later, the warbound and other unofficial leaders had gathered to the bridge to discuss their next course of actions. They had been busy these last few days.

The white wildebot ARCH-E had not left his station in the bridge since their arrival here, needing no rest or sleep. His task was far too important to be left idle.

The red-skinned and black-haired Elloe had worked herself to exhaustion trying to get the stubborn Imperials to work together and form a rudimentary hierarchy. As a former aristocrat, she was more than capable in handling the largest group of refugees on the ship.

The slim, buzzing No-Name of the Brood had a harder time keeping the leaderless and fragile Natives in check. Without Miek, the yellow-skinned hivelings wandered around in chaos. Some of the larger alpha's even threatened to take over the ship. With the help of some of the fearsome robotic Dead Hand Guards, No-Name quickly got rid of the troublemakers. A more compliant alpha was picked to provide guidance to the excitable children.

Korg and Hiroim meanwhile saw to it that the ship was kept in shape and its damaged engines repaired. One of the remaining surviving Shadow Elders happened to carry a codex with some detailed technical information, and with the help of the wildebots the secrets were uncovered. Korg and the most resilient wildebots had worked an entire day out in open space repairing the cracks in the blue crystal rods and pushing them into proper alignment.

Now that the ship was not in immediate threat of coming apart, the warbound were able to come together for the first time since days.

"Where is Caiera?" Elloe asked as she looked around, her weariness evident in her pasty face. "She is our leader after the Hulk. Can we even make decisions without her?"

"She is resting, and..." Hiroim hesitated for a moment. "Looking after the human she brought in. She does not respond to any of us, and she shows no interest in our affairs. We must leave her to her needs and command the ship in our own capability while she recovers."

"Now our first order of business, how is our food supply holding up?"

As Brood was in charge of the Natives, most of whom had experience in farming, she was the one that answered. Normally, no one present in the room would have been able to understand her hisses and cracks, were it not for the translation nanobots resting inside everyone's ears. "We have gathered a number of Eleha'al vinesss and some other crops, but we lack enough to feed the entire population sustainably. By my estimatesss, we have but ten days, more if we reduce rations."

"Hmm.." Korg mused. As a being of stone, he did not hunger in the conventional sense. "Then it is best to reduce everyone's rations to three-quarters for the next three days, and after that to a half."

The Imperial girl didn't look too happy about that. "I know it's necessary." She began. "But the people will grow discontent with a hungry belly. Some of the more rebellious leaders will no doubt exploit the unrest and perhaps try to stage a coup."

"We are the warbound." Hiroim stated, his palm cutting into the air as if he chopped off a head. "Resistance will not be tolerated, not in our desperate state. Assassinate these leaders if needed. We do not need them as much as they need us."

"Yes Hiroim." Elloe replied reluctantly. As a noble familiar with political manipulations, she was well aware that the worst thing she could do was to kill Imperials in cold blood. As much as she would want to kill a few pesky individuals, she could not risk such a rash action. Without the Green Scar to force everyone in obedience, a lot of people would probably feel that they could get away with things, especially if the one who led them was a young girl in her twenties. Elloe Kaifi needed to use all her wits for the next week in order to keep her fellow Imperials from doing anything stupid.

Satisfied, Hiroim turned to the next topic. "Now then, ARCH-E, what is the status on our location? Where has Caiera's portal deposited our ship?"

The robot glanced down from his single console with his single rectangular glowing eye. It twitched a few times as it rapidly processed a few pieces of data. "-ZZZT-... It is.. puzzling. According to the star positions of other neighboring galaxies, we should be in the exact location of the Tayo System in the Fornax Galaxy. Sakaar should have been less than a million kilometers off our starboard side. Instead, there is nothing but space dust all around us. More disturbingly, the Fornax Galaxy does not even exist. Not a single star or black hole is anywhere within a radius of twenty thousand light years."

Now it was everyone's turn to look up in surprise. "Are you certain you have made any mistakes?"

"-ZZttt-.. I have not. Before we have become feral wildebots, we were interstellar travelers. I have a map of the entire explored universe. Almost every galaxy is in its place. Only the Fornax Galaxy and a few other distant galaxies are missing, while others do not show up in our database at all."

"Then... where are we, really?" Korg uttered. "Surely this could not mean we are in another universe?"

"It is possible." ARCH-E replied instantly. "Most likely, the damaged incurred to our engines was the most likely cause of a destabilization of the portal, but that might not be the only cause. There are other variables in play that I have not been able to determine. Without knowing the exact nature of the disruption, it will be nigh impossible to replicate the event and return us to our universe."

There was an oppressive silence in the bridge as each formed their own conclusions about their sudden isolation. Cut-off from Sakaar and their universe, they were truly alone. The other stone ships might have been able to escape this fate, leaving at least some of their legacy behind. Still, the warbound and their refugee crew were completely alone now, their ship out in the middle of vacuum and far away from any other star system. They had nothing to live for now but for themselves.

Slowly, Brood began to speak. As the last of her species, she was more accustomed to the fate of loneliness than the others. "We are alone, yes, but we have to move on and keep ourselves alive. We must seek a planet full of life to replenish our food stock, then find a new home to settle in. We are survivors. Our old hive may be gone, but we can make a new one in any other system."

Nodding, Hiroim said, "The old Sakaar is dead. We are the new Sakaar, and we have a responsibility to the people we have taken with us to find a new life in this fresh and bountiful universe. ARCH-E, plot a course to the nearest suspected life-capable planet."

"Zzttt.. affirmative.. relying on database and spectral analysis.. 30 minutes until destination is determined."

"Good. Now, another issue. Just because we are new in this universe does not mean that we are welcome. What are our weapons capabilities?"

"Only EMP weaponry. Nothing else."

Grimacing, Hiroim stared at Brood as she silently hovered. "Not every enemy we encounter is going to use machines to fight."

"I've already thought about it." Elloe added. "We've managed to salvage a substantial number of ship-based weapons from the Okini research centre. Turns out it is one of the manufacturing sites for the Imperial warnoughts. We've got disintegrator cannons, energy blasters, energy harpoons, air-to-surface missiles and 10 Deathfire Bombs. Some of the Imperials we rescued there are familiar with the weapons, and at my word they can begin to modify the ship to install them immediately."

"That will prove difficult. The stone exterior is nearly indestructible, and an attempt at redirecting power from the ship's ancient systems would be a risky venture."

"Perhaps we can set up an alternative power source to power the weapons." Korg suggested. "We have plenty of space for a few large power generators. With the help of the wildebots, we can get it up and running in days."

"Good idea. See to it. The sooner we are armed, the better our chances of survival." Hiroim then directed his attention to the last item on the list. "With the death of the Green King, our remaining society is nothing but a collection of groups. This cannot continue for much longer. I propose that we form a federation, with each of us—"

"No." A strong voice called out from the door. "Holku is our king. No one will usurp his right to rule."

Everyone turned to the resplendent glory of Caiera in her elegant royal robes. Her face showed none of the remnants of sorrow and anguish, and her waist-length hair was washed from all the dirt and grime. She looked every part the queen she was supposed to be. With an old but proud face, she faced her warbound without reserve.

"With all respect, we are not worthy to become a monarch. The Green King is—"

"—Is still our king." As everyone stood puzzled in their silence, the Oldstrong motioned them to follow her as she made her way out. Caiera walked down the corridor with her bare feet, enjoying the cool touch of living stone. They passed by several crewmen and other workers who were busy tinkering with the ship. The Queen then turned into a corner, entering the quarters reserved for the warbound. She stopped before the largest set of doors, those leading to her own room, and turned to face her companions.

Brood asked the question that lingered in everyone's minds. "Why have you brought ussss here?"

The smirk on Caiera's face was so much unlike her mourning self that for a moment, some of the warbound thought she had gone insane. With a small push, the doors drew back, revealing the huge open space inside. Caiera turned and moved inside, leaving the warbound to follow in her wake. As they approached the bed, they saw the same unknown human figure resting soundlessly beneath the oversized bed. Soft purple sheets covered his body thick with warmth as he slept. The Oldstrong carefully sat on the edge of the bed and with her trembling arm grasped the hand of the man. She stared in wistful silence at the peaceful form as she caressed the small hand she held in her own large ones.

She began her story without prompt. "On the night of Holku's first day of reign, I sat before a flame in order to undergo a ritual with my husband. We both laid bare our souls."

Closing her eyes, Caiera sent a sliver of Old Power up the arm of the human. Her soothing blue energies began to vibrate along the arms until it turned into a mystical green force. For a few seconds, nothing else happened. Suddenly, the human's arm began to grow in bulk while simultaneously turning into green. In time, the puny human's arm turned into the massive barrel-sized arm of the Hulk.

"His name is Bruce. He lives inside Holku as Holku lives inside Bruce. Holku gives Bruce strength while Bruce gives Holku intelligence."

With a small command, she withdrew her Old Power, and the arm slowly faded into its normal human size.

"We.. it makes sense." Korg concluded. "The Green Scar always talked about this 'Bruce' when he talked about the weaknesses of men."

Yesss..." Noname of the Brood concurred, her tendrils drawing closer to taste the moisture on the human's skin. "In my hive's invasion of Earth, we were stopped by many so-called superheroes. Not all humans are as weak as the Green King claims them to be. They have many extraordinarily powered individuals amongst them, a handful who could even defeat us all by themselves. But to think Hulk was one of them..."

The man's eyes suddenly opened up. Strange blue eyes turned to star at each of the warbound in turn before lingering on Caiera. She smiled at him, beckoning him to sit up, which he did after he had gathered some more pillows under him.

"I'm Bruce, Bruce Banner."

"This... how have you become—"

"The Hulk?" Once, Bruce might have felt pained if he exposed this part of his life. Not anymore. "I'm a nuclear physicist, a scientist specializing in gamma radiation which can be used to power devices, or build bombs of incredible power and destruction. At a bomb testing, something had gone wrong, leaving me exposed to the full effect of a gamma bomb. I was completely irradiated, but instead of killing me, it transformed me into the green giant you know today."

"How can it be that you are so intelligent that the Hulk is... not?" Hiroim asked curiously.

"The Hulk is.. a different side of me. Sometimes several different sides, which can affect his level of intelligence. But in almost all cases, the Hulk represents a side of me that drives on emotion rather on intelligence, though I have been stupid plenty of times. As you know, anger is the driving force of his power. Back on Earth, I was able to keep my transformation limited by being calmed by others. When we first arrived on Sakaar however, the Hulk held a constant level of anger against those who betrayed us, and it would have been almost impossible to calm him down. The only reason why he is not here at the moment is because the explosion caused by the malfunctioned warp core. But when he recovers, he will be enraged beyond any measure. I fear I cannot control his destructive urges even then."

"We are in a different universe now. We might never come back in the universe we came from." Korg reasoned. "Even if there was a chance that Earth or humans exist, they are not to blame for the ordeals the Green Scar has gone through. Should I meet another version of my race-bound enemy Thor, I would not hold any enmity against him."

Bruce simply shook his head. "The Hulk will not understand. The moment he catches a glimpse of Mr. Fantastic or Iron Man, he will stop at nothing to destroy them." He opened his mouth to continue, but his eyes suddenly closed and his body slumped down. Caiera put his body back down.

"He is weak and afflicted, but he will recover." She affirmed as she stood up in front of the gathered warbound. "You have heard Bruce's words. The Hulk will return, and when he does, every human is going to be his enemy, regardless of whether they are at fault or not."

"Then how can we take away his rage?" Elloe asked. "He is the Worldbreaker. The Green King will not rest until he has avenged the death of Sakaar with the shattering of another planet."

"And that is what we shall have to prevent." Caiera spoke resolutely. "We must train him and guide him. We must make him focus his rage so that he will not turn it to us. This universe is hardly any different from ours."

"What about Earth?" Brood hissed. "The Green King will insist on going to Earth."

"We must do what we can to calm Hoku's rage before we arrive. Humans are entirely full of sin, but the planet does not deserve to suffer."

After the warbound left to spread the news of the Green King's possible return and untangle their confusion, Caiera slipped out of her robes and joined the unconscious human in the bed. Bruce was more than a head smaller than her. It made her feel strange when she thought that his other side towered over her in turn. She put her palm over her smooth belly. It won't be long before her pregnancy will start to show. Will their offspring be a man or a woman? Will her child have two faces as Holku does? There were so many questions, but precious little answers.

* * *

The stone ship travelled through space faster than the speed of light, by several orders of magnitude. In the intergalactic void, the engines could utilize their full capabilities without any interference from gravity. Once having reached a galaxy, its speed would have to drop, but it could still travel several times faster than light.

Inside the ship, a miniature society began to shape. With the word of the Green King's imminent return, the population shrugged out of their stupor. The warbound sorted the people by their race, then accorded status depending on their skills. Wealth, fame or birth mattered little in this new world. Pride and egos were brutally cut down. Mayors became clerks. Slaves became farmers. Servants became taskmasters. Roles were switched so much that none knew whether to bow at a former noble or not. Elloe quickly made clear what the new rules were now. You work or you die. No everyone was happy with that, especially the highborn.

The food situation was dear, but not as much as they thought. The Eleha'al vines took to the Old Power like a drunk to liquor. Rations did not have to be cut to a half for a week yet, giving the people more time to settle in their new life before they faced additional hardships. The food had started to become monotonous, and some scientists were doubtful whether the vines were completely healthy to everybody. The plants came into existence from the Green King's blood. Would any traces of it end up in their own bloodstreams? There didn't seem to be any immediate effects on any organic species on the ship though, so for lack of better alternatives the farmers decided to continue cultivating the vines.

Inside the deepest recesses of the ship, Caiera meditated calmly in a room of barren stone. Nestled between two compartments that housed the ship's EMP capabilities, the circular room was just as empty and lifeless as any other room or cavern. Not to her. The Oldstrong had felt a pull at the edge of her consciousness ever since she stepped inside the ship. Only the stress of what happened in Sakaar and the need to be at Bruce's side had prevented her from answering the call before. As she first entered the room, she could feel nothing out of place. The Old Power seemed to hum in the same frequency on other parts of the ship. When she started to concentrate, the difference was suddenly palpable.

The chamber was harmonic and reflective. The Old Power bounced across the walls, amplifying itself to its maximum potential. Just a single focused burst of additional energy could generate enough energy to lift up an island! Caiera immediately began to meditate, clearing her mind of all interferences, although her worries for Bruce and Holku proved difficult to set aside. Once she purged herself from all unclean thoughts, she began to explore the chamber step for step. Hidden beneath the regular surface of Shadow Stone that comprised much of the vessel, there was different material lining the room. It wasn't stone, neither metal. After intense scrutiny lasting half an hour, she had finally determined it to be some crystalline structure, not unlike the blue crystal rods that provided travel.

What was its purpose? Was this a ritual chamber, where powerful enchantments were wrought? A throne room where a king would feel supreme? Or simply a place to rest and relax? The Old Power around her didn't answer.

Sensing the amount of time that had passed, she finally stood up and paced towards the exit of the room. She could unlock the chamber's secrets on another day.

As queen and symbolic leader of the remnants of Hulk's kingdom, it was important to let herself be seen amongst the common folk and appreciate their simple world. She had witnessed the madness and atrocities of the Red King for many years. As a monarch herself, she was determined not to repeat past mistakes.

The inner hull of the ship was a huge, kilometer long hollow cargo bay that was as tall as a hundred meters in the middle. While there were many private compartments to the sides of the ship, much of that space were being converted in gun emplacements and other modules. That meant that most people had to carve out their own living space in the cavern.

Already, Imperials were hauling slabs of Shadow Stone removed from other areasin order to use them to create new living spaces. The Natives on the other hand had built a large nest out of biomaterial close to the miniature farms they tended. The Shadow People meanwhile kept themselves secluded in the other parts of the ship, but most of the younger ones tended to prefer the lively atmosphere of the Cave as it was called than the isolated seclusions of their elders.

"Ah, Your Highness! So good of you to grace us with a visit!"

"As is my pleasure, Aian." She smiled as she turned around to answer an Imperial.

"Forgive my impudence Your Highness, but is it true that we are heading to Earth to do to them as they did to us? My Sharnin.. she.." The worker fell silent as the tears threatened to burst.

Caiera frowned. A lifetime of slavery, violence and ruthlessness had desensitized her of the losses people suffered, though even she felt a loss when her planet was destroyed. She had seen too many crying faces in her lifetime that Aian's tears did not affect her heart. As much as she wanted to sympathize, she simply couldn't. Only the loss of her bonded husband could break her soul, but he was resting peacefully in his chambers. For a moment, she felt unworthy to escape with a loved one while many thousands didn't. Guilt tore at her emotions.

Shrugging away her own dark thoughts, she managed to console her face before she began to answer. "The humans must pay, but their planet deserves our mercy. Focus your vengeance on those deserving of our wrath."

As she walked away, she briefly considered whether she was right. The humans she really wanted to punish were in a different universe than the one they were currently in. Though it did not seem right to punish these other humans, her heart and soul were screaming for their blood. Years of battle and assassination had steeled her very being. Nothing could satisfy the fire burning within her except exacting retribution.

In her very few talks with Holku about his life on Earth, she had learned the humans were nothing if not worse than the Red King. They were weak and frail, but greedy and prejudiced. Those in power tried to destroy any who were different and control those when they couldn't. Holku had mentioned about a group of humans with extraordinary powers, mutants or something or the other, and the absolute fear and hatred humanity had directed against the mutants. Not even being a hero, as Holku had tried to be many times, would convince these humans of his good intentions.

No. Humans were dangerous. Given enough time, they would encounter Holku, and become terrified of his strength and rage. They could not appreciate his noble heart, nor the righteousness of his anger, so they would begin to plot his downfall. Though the Green Scar was a being of power, the Earth of his reality contained a thousand of other superpowered individuals. If the Earth in this universe was the same, Caiera could not let them gather their strength and make a strike on her beloved.

Her old mouth warped to a smirk as she took an elevator to the upper levels. As far as she was concerned, Bruce Banner would be the last human being left alive in this universe. The part of her that relished the atrocities of the tyrannical Red King chuckled ruefully inside her mindscape as she cycled through different ways of slaughtering the humans.

* * *

ARCH-E-5912 worked silently at the consoles. His hands patiently flew over the orange holoscreen, tweaking obscure settings and monitoring ship systems. Any organic who took in the sight must think he was at ease with the situation. Nothing could be further from the truth.

His underdeveloped sentient mind was frustrated with the archaic infrastructure of the ship. There were no cables, no plugs, no computers for him to interface. It seemed that the entire ship was one solid block of Shadow Stone. The material wasn't just a barrier. It could think. Billions and billions of invisible instructions floated from one end of the ship to the other, managing minute environments such as raising temperature or dimming lights. The ship wasn't just a machine – it was a veritable organism.

His very basic wildebot instincts urged him to destroy every organic creature and even the ship itself for being such a heretical creation. Only his most recent self-upgrades insured that he would not act on his inner desires. Life under the Green King and his organic subjects was much preferable to the anarchy of Sakaar. Things made much more sense now that they didn't fight to survive.

His fellow wildebots weren't very content, but they all knew it could have been worse. More savage than ARCH-E himself, only the threat of instant annihilation by overwhelming numbers kept the group in check. They had understandably sequestered themselves in the back areas of the ship, where the louder hum of the engines repelled any curious organics.

They only ever came out of their territory to help with the installation of weaponry. The organics appreciated the bots' skill with electronics, and the bots appreciated the opportunity to assimilate the designs for themselves. No wildebot had kidded themselves that the truce they had with the organics would last forever, not when the honorable Green King was still absent.

"Good day, ARCH-E." A voice uttered from the entrance to the bridge.

"-Zzt- Hiroim."

The ever-stoic Shadow Priest took his own post behind and above ARCH-E's one. He activated the system and inserted his personal code before gaining access. As soon as he checked the diagnostics, Hiroim called upon the star chart. The holoscreen in the center of the bridge suddenly flitted to life. Beams of light formed into a large blue three-dimensional space. Most of it was empty void, but there were several swirling collections of stars. Hiroim concentrated on one in particular, zooming the view until the galaxy in question occupied the entire screen.

"Can you tell me how long it will take to reach this galaxy?"

"-Zzzt-... Current projections indicate we will approach the gravitational edge of the Large Magellanic –Zzzt- Cloud in fifty-five hours. Once we enter its perimeter, our speed will be severely reduced, but the nearest life-bearing planet should be about thirty-nine hours away."

"Hmmm..." Roughly four days then. They had plenty of food to spare, but it was better to be prudent. "Order rations to be cut to a half from now on, but full rations in the final twenty-four hours until our approach to the planet. We must be prepared to face whatever surprises we may find at the end of our journey."

A few beeps from ARCH-E's speakers confirmed the orders, and his mechanical fingers already communicated the orders to the agricultural section.

"One more thing ARCH-E..." Hiroim spoke, his voice taking a softer volume. "Are you certain we cannot return to our own universe?"

The robot's rectangular eye glowed bright as ARCH-E cycled through every calculation. It had taken him days to gather the right parameters and hours to churn out the numbers. Though his databanks contained woefully little about faster-than-light travel, dimensional travel and alternate universes, the ancient computers of the stone ship contained enough theory to present an answer.

"The -zzt- engine crystals were irreparably damaged. In addition, the breakup of Sakaar unleashed a multitude of energies that would be impossible to replicate without destroying the exact planet in the exact -Zzzt- same manner. As the Fornax Galaxy does not even exist in this reality, our chances of reaching our home galaxy are almost none."

Unlike the others who hoped to return to their own universe, Hiroim didn't shed a tear for the loss. The great world of Sakaar was dead. Only a few thousand survivors who escaped on the other stone ships was all that was left of their civilization. Wherever those survivors would settle, it would never be home to him. The sooner the others realized there was nothing left to return to, the sooner the people would start to find new joy.

In a way, he was glad to be left of his ancestral home. Though he was unable to exact justice from his planet's murderers, he would not be driven mad by the lure of vengeance. With his enemies out of reach, Hiroim and his fellow refugees could focus on salvaging a new life in this fresh universe. Sakaar was dead, but its spirit lived on in their lives. They would find a new Sakaar to settle.

**BOOM!**

The ship suddenly jarred as multiple explosions wracked the ship. An even greater jerk threw ARCH-E and Hiroim off their feet. The lights began to flicker as alarms began to wail.

"ARCH-E, what is happening!"

"-ZZZZTzz- I do not know! –ZZzt- It seems we have been pulled from FTL." ARCH-E quickly scrambled to his console and began to read the alarms. "Explosives have been detonated at several critical points in the ship, resulting in a -zzt- severe disruption in ship systems and several hull breaches."

"Saboteurs! Traitors!" Hiroim quickly went over the doorway leading out in the corridors, only to find it blocked by fallen debris. "They've trapped us!"

"It seems the rebels have hit several critical systems in addition to caving in most of the entryways on the upper level." The robot added as he began to stabilize the ship. "Fires have erupted all over the ship. Most of the crew is busy trying to put them out."

Hiroim's tactical mind was already processing the information. It didn't take long for the former warrior to come to a conclusion. "By the prophets! They intend to keep us busy while they make their way in the upper levels to..."

He lost his composure as he slammed his fist against the bulkhead. "The rebels are going to assassinate our king."

* * *

Korg let the feeble laser blasts scorch his yellowish rocky exterior. He had waded through the melting heat of lava before. Mere concentrated bursts of heat and light was petty compared to the rigors he had faced as a slave back in Sakaar.

The robotic Death's Head Guards behind him were firing their own lasers back at the rebel Imperials. Elloe kept her slim body behind Korg's massive bulk as she fired her lightning rod at the covered rebels, accomplishing little as her strikes couldn't penetrate the Shadow Stone.

"This is useless! We have to get to the chambers before they manage to break through." Elloe let loose a final strike. "Korg! Storm them!"

The Kronan warrior grunted before bouldering through the feeble obstacles the insurgents put in his way. Elloe and the black clad Death's Head Guard follow right behind. As they fired along the way to keep the rebels' heads down, one prepared a plasma grenade. As soon as he was close enough, he lobbed it over the Kronan's head and the round projectile landed behind the fallen rubble the Imperials were taken cover at. Only a single second passed before a loud energy discharge echoed off the walls.

"AAGhh!"

Chaos erupted as Korg tore apart the final obstacle before launching himself at a group of terrified traitors. Elloe, realizing that she was exposed, quickly dove behind some fallen rubble and launched her lightning attacks only occasionally. Not that the assault squad needed any help. The elite Death Head Guards mowed down every opposition in its way, letting the laser bolts burn their Aresian alloy armor. Utterly fearless of death, they made quick work of the Imperials with their own laser cannons.

"Hm, I would have thought my race had more guts than this." Elloe remarked as she electrocuted a survivor to death, relishing the screams. "They become frightened way too easily. Where is their passion?"

"It is likely that they were deceived." Korg remarked as he went to work digging out another blocked entrance. "Whoever their leader is knew that he or she had to make some sacrifices."

"When I get my hands on that person..." Elloe had several suspicions. The fact that they had only met Imperial opposition so far told her much on the secret cabal that had dared to cripple the ship. "I feel bad for not seeing this coming. I should have realized they would have considered doing something drastic and risky."

"Not everyone is subtle as you, Elloe." Korg mused, just before he punched away the last of the rubble. "That they acted so soon speaks much of their desperation."

The female Imperial shook her head as she and her robot command follow Korg deeper in the ship, occasionally electrocuting a passing rebel. "They launched their surprise attack at their time of choosing, when the warbound were separated." The group halted for a moment to take care a small band of rebels who had holed up in a bedroom. "Desperate opponents make for the most dangerous opponents."

The two warbound and several other strike groups were slowly making way through the blockades, but they were making awfully slow progress. Most of the population was in a panic. ARCH-E and Hiroim were occupied at the bridge. Brood was busy coordinating the fire fighting. Caiera did all she could with her Old Power to counteract the structural damage of the ship and prevent any further hull breaches. Only the wildebots seemed to keep their calm, doing all they could in repairing the engine damage before it could spread any further.

"Over there! The royal chambers!"

The Kronan locked on his target and rushed through the double doors, crushing them apart and surprising the Imperials waiting in ambush. The great yellow alien roared a guttural cry as his fists mauled the softskin rebels into mush. The others quickly fanned into the room, spreading out to enfilade the disorganized opposition.

It was over in seconds.

Sweeping her eyes across the room, the Kaifi scion found out that the Green King was taken. She quickly identified a survivor and strode over to his bleeding body. Her foot jammed in the open wound at his side, eliciting a wretched scream.

"Tell me where you have taken the Green King!" To emphasize her threat, she ground her heel in deeper in the flesh.

The young Imperial was sweating off his red skin as he looked terrified at Elloe. "He-he-he-DEATH TO THE WORLDBREAKER! LONG LIVE SAKAA-AAAAAHHH!"

"TELL ME WHERE YOU HAVE TAKEN THE KING!"

She kicked and stomped the body several times. Seeing she did not have much success, she withdrew and took out her lightning rod. The settings were turned down before she used it to torture the young man.

"AAAHHH I'LL TELL YOU I'll TELL YOU!" As the current was released, the rebel took a few breaths to recover. Seeing that Elloe wasn't very patient, he quickly blurted, "They took him… to the nearest hatch."

Her eyes widened as she immediately recognized the impending doom. "Korg! They plan to throw him out into space. We can't let them abandon him into space. Go!"

With a final withering look, she set her rod to lethal and sent a final shock to kill the bleeding rebel. She then turned to follow Korg and the Death Head Guards to the other side of the ship, sweeping through pockets of resistance along the way. The rebels only took out a few Death Head Guards at most, but they stalled the loyalists long enough for the leaders to finish their preparations.

"You are too late." The apparent leader boasted as the Korg bashed through the final obstacle. Puzzled why the Death Head Guards didn't shoot, Elloe quickly raised her rod to electrocute the noble, but she held off as she recognized the bulky Deathfire Bomb shielding his body. "Yes, dear Elloe. You don't want to unleash an inferno here, do you?"

She could only grit her teeth as she was powerless to kill the one she recognized as the former senator Ronan Ierfi. "What have you done with the Green King?"

"Don't you mean the Pink King?" Ronan smirked. "That skinny human is a disgrace, but even I'm not stupid enough to trigger the return of the Worldbreaker."

"What have you done to him?"

The insurgent leader raised a delicate withered hand to the area behind him. "The Worldbreaker is a being of mindless rage. Taking him out of the equation is so easy. Just chuck him out the airlock, and he can be angry at anything he wants in the vacuum between the galaxies. We'd be long gone by then."

"No!" Korg shouted, and for a moment he considered storming his enemies anyway despite the Deathfire Bomb in his way.

The noble only smirked wider before he signaled with his hand. "Dump the body into space."

Helpless to act, Korg and Elloe could only gape as the chamber beyond opened into vacuum, flushing out the body of Bruce into the dark void of vacuum.

Ronan let out a brief chuckle before raising a wrist communicator. "The Worldbreaker is off the ship. Send us away!"

Far away and back in the darkest reaches of the engine room, a single cloaked Imperial pulled down a lever. Hidden systems flung to life, sending out a huge pulse directly towards the engines.

A huge shudder shook the floor underneath Korg and Elloe's feet. Horror showed on their faces as they realized their defeat.

"Hahahaha yes! Even as we speak, the ship is travelling light years apart from his body in erratic jinks." Ronan boasted, not even bothering to keep the bomb between him and his opponents. "The Worldbreaker will break no world anymore. He will float around in the void between galaxies for eternity, or at least as long as he can hold his breath!"

Elloe couldn't accept his words. "Don't underestimate our king! He has leaped into space and back to free the spikes!"

"No, don't you see? There are no navigational beacons in deep space." Korg explained, his eyes cast down in defeat. "If the ship isn't travelling in a straight line, then we don't have a chance of retrieving the Green Scar. He is lost to us."

The female warbound looked at her own companion in disbelief. "The Hulk... no... he cannot die! Not now! Not when we have made it so far!"

Ronan only soaked in the despair, growing more and more amused at the fallen spirits of the warbound. "He is gone. Lay down your arms and surrender. Without your precious green-skinned king, everything is over! Hahahaha!"

* * *

Light years away, deep in the coldest reaches of outer space, a single puny human shook off his sleep as he choked. Already he could feel his body expanding, his eyes threatening to burst, and his blood beginning to boil and evaporate. Pain far greater than he had ever experienced before wracked his mortal flesh.

His desperation slowly made way to anger. Someone put him here, thrown him off the ship to die in the emptiness of space. He smoothly let his primal instincts take over, his darker side urging him to surrender to his rage.

Though there was no nearby star to illuminate the castoff, the being known as Bruce Banner had made way. In his place, the green monstrosity remained. He roared in anger, though no air was around to carry his sound. The giant figure flailed through the blinding dark of space, wishing to move but having nothing to move against. His arms and legs only flapped uselessly against the nothingness of vacuum, leaving the Hulk hurling aimlessly in the dark.

Even smashing his own body didn't move him any closer towards a star. The laws of physics were unbending to the Green King. With nothing to smash but himself, the Hulk raged uselessly in the dark.

This is the story of the Green Scar.

The Eye of Anger.

The Worldbreaker.

Harkanon.

Haarg.

Holku.

Hulk.

And how he finally came to ruin.

'_Hulk__ must __**SMASH**__!'_

* * *

If you're wondering why I crossed over the Incredible Hulk with Battlestar Galactica of all things, it's because I don't want to deal with an army of angry comic book geeks. I would like nothing more than write an engaging story of Hulk returning to the Marvelverse Earth, but I know far too little about the comics to make a decently accurate attempt.


	2. The Futile Rebellion

August 23, 2011  
By RahXephon [847246]

**Author's Notes:** I was looking through my old archives and found this unfinished chapter. I found it a waste to keep it on my hard drive so I'm publishing this chapter. Be warned that it is unedited since I wrote it back in 2009. I originally planned to cross this over with Battlestar Galactica, but now I sort of think this setting would be wasted with that franchise. I think if I ever get to pick up this story again, I'll cross it over with some other universe with an abundance of humans (Fallout, Warhammer 40k and Mass Effect comes to mind), or I'll just do my own thing and invent my own universe to play around with. I'm not sure if I even want to pick up this story again to be frank. While I have no plans to continue writing this story, some of the appeal still remains.

* * *

_**The **__**Ruin of the Worldbreaker**_

_The Futile Rebellion_

* * *

Caiera the Oldstrong urgently tried to mitigate the damage wrought by the rebels. Though she held enough Old Power to bring a planet to destruction, the ship was too unsettled to make any significant repairs. The rebels had skillfully targeted major veins where the bulk of information and energy had streamed through. Without a unified connection throughout the ship, Caiera could only make limited repairs on each separate section.

She cursed her opponents as she reformed broken stone. The careless traitors who engineered the explosions had no sense on how close they were of sucking out into vacuum. She could barely understand their irrational fears and how it drove them to such drastic measures. Could they not see how futile it is to go against the warbound?

Still, they couldn't be that stupid. If the rebels were willing risking their lives for this plan, it was likely something good enough to defeat her and her companions. What could it be? What were they planning?

A large jolt from ship almost threw her off her feet.

"Caiera!" Her earpiece blared, and Caiera could recognize the distorted voice of Elloe. "It's bad! They've thrown Bruce out the airlock and engaged FTL!"

Her heart skipped a beat.

Another voice followed up. "I can'-zzt-t get the ship to -ZZZZzzzT- disengage. It is continuing to –zzzt- accelerate and –ZzzZt- making random twists and –zZzt- turns. Flight recorder is sabotaged. Can't retrace our path. Am working –ZZzzT- hard!"

"My queen." The calm voice of Korg cut in. "Our strike group are currently hold up in the upper hangar bay. The rebel leader is holding the ship hostage with a Deathfire bomb. He demands our surrender or he will detonate it inside the ship."

She was hardly listening by then. It didn't immediately sink in that Holku was thrown out of the ship. But when it did, her entire composure began to crack. Her husband was floating out in space, perhaps already dead from suffocation. Even if he had surrendered into the Green Scar, he might never be found again. Deep space was huge, and the ship was rapidly putting light-years behind the location where the Green Scar was abandoned.

The ship's sensors didn't have a large enough range to detect something as miniscule as a body. Even if it were sensitive enough, the sensors only worked as fast as the speed of light, far too slow to recover Holku before his breath ran out. Combing the entire radius of empty space for his body was as impossible as finding a needle in a thousand haystacks.

"He is… gone?"

The Hulk was a being of unstoppable power. He could shrug off bullets, swim in a sea of magma, jump into space and smash any opponent arrayed against him. To be defeated by trickery and subterfuge was too unreal. It shouldn't have been possible to defeat the Green King at all. Even a planet-shattering explosion couldn't kill the Hulk. He… couldn't…

"But he is…"

The Shadow Queen clenched her fists as she let herself be consumed by her darker urges. Old Power flared from her body in a gigantic torrent which blasted everyone else aside. Her savage cry of loss and rage reach every corner of the ship. Rebels and loyalists both put down their weapons in order to cover their ears. Only the wildebots were able to tone done the sensitivity of their aural sensors.

"What is going on?" Ronan shouted as the noise began to recede from ear-splitting to merely loud.

Only a handful knew the source of the outburst. "She knows." Korg uttered fearfully. "Caiera knows."

"Well then tell her to stop that noise before I blow up the ship!"

"I don't think she will listen."

The floor in the middle suddenly burst apart. Large fragments of stone began to pelt the entire room, knocking out plenty of rebels and a handful of Deaths Head Guards. Only Elloe came through unharmed as she ducked behind the bulk of Korg. Some of the stones knocked against the steel exterior of the bomb, but the impact wasn't hard enough to trigger anything, to the relief of everyone.

Relief quickly turned to fear.

"Where is my beloved."

Floating up the hole was Caiera the Oldstrong her resplendent battle armor. Her eyes burned with Old Power as she directed the mystical flows to approach the large round-shaped bomb.

"Where. Is. My. Beloved." She repeated, her tone more insistent.

As a senator in the barely civilized world of Sakaar, Ronan of the Ierfi family was well acquainted with intimidation. Or so he thought. "You will not speak to me in that tone, whore queen."

"**WHERE. IS. MY. BELOVED!**" She demanded as the Old Power manifested in and around her body. The Shadow Queen's eyes glowed blue as the power overtook her senses, causing her to lose control over the tendrils of Old Power. Already they flicked and flailed around her, tearing ceilings and slamming back frightened rebel Imperials.

Sweat began to trickle from Ronan's brow. He had a feeling that he couldn't manipulate the wrathful queen as easily as the Red King. In all his past dealings, none seemed more capable and willing to destroy him than the sadistic Red King. Though dangerous and petty, the former ruler of Sakaar was practically a child. Dangle a toy in front of him, and he'd eagerly bite. The same could not be said of Caiera. It was all the more important for him to appear dominant. Give away one inch and he would forfeit his life.

Summoning up his last vestiges of courage, Ronan began to speak calm but confident. "The Green Scar is gone and lost in the bleakness of space. We have insured this ship will never find its way back to his body. Surrender now before you do something stupid. I will not hesitate to—"

"SILENCE!" Caiera cut in, her voice so distorted by power that even Ronan fell back, fear finally etched on his face. "You have one last chance. Return the Green King now or prepare to die."

"W-We can't, we're hundreds of light-years away now." When it seemed that Caiera was about to raise her hand, Ronan quickly went back to his threat. "Don't move, or I will trigger this bomb! Everyone on this level and the levels below will die. Are you willing to condemn your people for revenge?"

For a few seconds, it seemed that Caiera was considering just that. Her aura grew darker and more intense while her eyes glowed brighter. Elloe held her breath as she hoped her queen would not do something crazy. As an Imperial noble and rebel, she knew how terrifyingly powerful the Deathfire Bombs were. She had no doubt that she would be instantly turned into ashes if the bomb exploded. Would Caiera be able to see that as well? Would she even care for them now that her mind was fixated on the Green Scar?

Then, as sudden as she appeared, she let go of her hold. The Old Power dissipated in the air, letting Caiera fall on the rubble-strewn floor with a harsh metallic clank. The queen hunched her back as she acknowledged her defeat. Elloe and Korg didn't know whether to feel relieved or apprehensive. With Caiera out of the action and the rebels still in control of the bomb, the other warbound would not be able to prevent the coup.

"We can't let them get away with it." Elloe whispered softly, careful not to let the others hear her words. The fight had not left her eyes.

The stone guardian could only shake his head. "The rebels have planned their coup well. Without the Green King, we are hardly in a position to order people around."

Ronan, seeing his opponent offer surrender, finally eased the tension that held his body rigid. The other rebels under his command let out a tentative whoop as they raised themselves from cover, though they kept their weapons trained on the loyalists at all times. One of the older rebels slung his rifle on his shoulder and clapped Ronan on the back.

"I knew it was right to put our faith in you." He congratulated as he wiped his sweaty palms against his senatorial robe. "I told those old cowards that it would work."

"Yes.." Ronan murmured, his head crunched in thought. "We'll have to pay them a visit and show them how much we appreciated their support. Though not until we have secured the ship." He whipped his head back to Caiera. "And as for you."

The old rebel smirked at Caiera's defiant scowl, knowing it to be a futile gesture. He leisurely strolled over her position and began to circle her tall, proud body, making sure he kept out of reach at all times. He hated to admit it, but he knew the queen was still formidable. She had to die, of course, but he wanted to take away her dignity as well.

"Caiera the Oldstrong… how pathetic. Whoring yourself out the Red King wasn't enough for you, was it? You want big men, strong men, stupid men. How rough did the Worldbreaker treat you? Did you enjoy it?"

The apparent captive only kept her scowl, not wishing to open her mouth to reply.

Annoyed at the lack of response, Ronan tried a different taunt. "And then there's the abomination inside your womb." When Caiera's eyebrows went through the roof, he knew he had her. "I cannot imagine the monstrosity that would result in your union with the Worldbreaker. Would the little demon even be able to fit inside your stomach after a few months? I'd imagine it wouldn't. Best to have it over with and kill you both at the same time."

"I swear on my life.. if you ever touch my baby, I will—"

"And you will what?" He shot back, still smirking as he knew the queen was helpless. "You can do NOTHING. As soon as I mopped up the rest of your little warbound, I will strap you down in front of them, rip open your stomach and squeeze the life out of the little monster inside you."

He was about to continue with his boast, but a young aide approached his side to deliver his report. "The other council members have gathered in the central chamber to discuss the takeover. However, resistance is still too heavy for us to proceed downwards."

Frowning, Ronan glanced critically at the young Imperial. "Did everyone attend? Anyone missing?"

"Only the vice-governor of Okini has declined to attend. He has left a note."

"No doubt containing excuses for his cowardice. We'll have to eliminate him as well. Thank you passing this along, you may go now."

As Ronan turned back to Caiera, he ordered a group of tough-looking rebels to come over. They wordlessly slapped back her arms and connected a pair of metallic manacles on her limbs. Another lackey raised a thin spear at Caiera, then thrust it on her bare shoulder. The gem-like disk sparkled in blue as it attached itself to Caiera's old wound. Their task done, the group then went over to Elloe and Korg to do the same.

"Now, you are mine to please and obey." Ronan said, and raised a metal rod similar to Elloe's one. He activated a function, causing Caiera to shout in pain as shocks tore through her entire body. He let it go when Caiera went down her knees, breathing heavily to overcome the pain. Surprisingly, the queen kept her expression steeled against his face.

"What are you looking at?" He asked irritably. "You are defeated. There is nothing left to do for you."

Her frown suddenly turned into cruel smile as she raised her body straight. "Are you sure about that?"

* * *

Out in the deep of space, far from any star or nebula, a single humanoid figure floated angrily in the dark. The Hulk roared in frustration, wasting air and not even accomplishing a single sound. Rage continued to build up inside of him, but without something to smash, the Green Scar was impotent.

He hardly understood how he came to be in outer space. Only one fact was certain. He was betrayed yet again. The thought of being stabbed in the back and left to wither in space drove him mad with blinding fury. The dark in front of his eyes made way for his enemies. Pale specters of Mr. Fantastic, Iron Man, Dr. Strange and the Black Bolt danced above him, taunting his helpless condition with their condescending grins.

"_I'd say the Imperials have done a good job getting rid of our trash." _Dr. Strange remarked as he stroked his short beard. _"Of course, that was exactly what we planned."_

Mr. Fantastic nodded gleefully as he raised a glass of champagne. _"I'd say. I picked the planet myself. If anyone would learn to hate the Hulk, it would be the people of Sakaar. I wonder if they're willing to exchange some tips on getting rid of any other Hulk-like monsters."_

"_Now that the Hulk is out of the picture, how about a party at my place?" _Iron Man asked in his electronically distorted voice. _"There's plenty of chicks grateful for our intervention. I don't think there's enough Viagra in the world for us to keep up."_

The Black Bolt stayed silent, but his mocking eyes were a message in itself.

'_HULK MUST __**SMASH THEM ALL!**_'

And with an imaginary leap, he closed the distance. His first target was the Black Bolt. The enraged Hulk grasped his opponent's black-clad body with one hand and covered the head with another hand. The inhuman feebly tried to squirm his head lose to unleash his formidable voice, but the Hulk made sure to keep the jaw shut tight. The Hulk grinned as he wrenched his wrist, abruptly twisting the neck of Black Bolt. With a final rip he tore off the lifeless head from the body.

'_Who's next?' _He asked at his remaining imaginary opponents.

As the Hulk fought the specters of his mind, something stirred. Just a few hundred meters from the Hulk, the newly created consciousness began to soak in the psychic presence of the powerful giant. Minute amounts of gamma radiation affected the entity as well, further warping its mind and subtly altering its physical structure. The infant sentience began to absorb the Hulk's memories and knowledge, but foremost its emotions. Rage, sadness, longing, despair; that and more began to be imprinted in its sponge-like intelligence.

When the Green King relished in his victory, the consciousness began devour that feeling as well. So when the Hulk returned to reality, the unknown mind screamed as its cravings went unsatisfied.

'…_more…. I must have more…'_

The newborn mind kept his vigil over the Hulk's increasingly tiring mental state. It gazed at his glow of power, basking in his strength and making it its own. The mind watched on as the Hulk lost himself in his memories. It knew love. Love for Betty. Love for Jarella. Love for Caiera. It knew friendship and joy as it experienced memories of Jones and the warbound. It knew betrayal as the ghosts of Iron Man and the other Illuminati traded barbs with the Hulk. It continued to absorb the emotions, growing increasingly mature and able to form its own desires.

'_Must.. experience.. must.. free myself..'_

Somewhere, something, someone answered that call.

The loose fragments of Shadow Stone started to vibrate. The residual Old Power solidified itself, letting the energies empower the stones. The chunks glowed softly in the dark as the ancient rock took on properties it was never meant to possess. The Shadow People had originally fashioned the stone ship the rocks had came from millions of years ago. To them, the ship was only a tool, a machine. Life was not theirs to create.

The stone disregarded the wishes of its shapers. It still remembered what it had been through. As soon as the ship had landed on Sakaar, the Shadow People had abandoned it. They tended the lands, healing it with their powers, but neglected the ship. Over time, the People passed on less and less of their knowledge. They lost sight of their mission, only to replace it with mindless worship and useless contemplation. Devices broke down, but the Shadow People had lost the will to continue their technological base.

Its former masters mocked it then with their ignorance. They buried the ship nose first down in the soil and built an entire shrine around it. They proclaimed the area holy ground and wasted away their lives staring at its unmoving surface. The idiots! The ship longed to fly amongst the stars, embrace the emptiness of vacuum and visit new exotic worlds. But no, the now primitive Shadow People insisted on living a simple life while letting its red-skinned cousins walk all over them.

Until the Hulk had come. The Shadow Elders refused to acknowledge the Green rebel and denied him any assistance. It didn't matter. He was the only one amongst all others on that pathetic planet who recognized the value of the ship. The primal being had tore the ship from its resting place and used it for his war against the Imperials.

The ship didn't mind. In fact, the ship felt elated. After all this time, it was finally being put to use. It flew through the skies with impunity. It caused dozens of heavy vessels to crash against the Earth with its formidable EMP weaponry. It carried thousands of rebels over the lands, finally taking the capital city after it knocked down the power stations.

Now, it was being put to use yet again, and the consciousness hungered for nothing more than to aid the Hulk in achieving his own desires.

The rocks glowed brighter as the Old Power in it called out to itself. The free-floating fragments began to move. Slow, at first, but gaining in strength as the chunks closed in on each other. Thin tendrils of Old Power flared out between the stones, connecting them and pulling them into place. Rocks merged with other rocks to form filaments and branches. Even the crystals that had propelled the ship were being called upon to finish the shape.

When all the leftover rubble had been integrated in the assembled shape, its eyes flashed in blue.

'_Finally.'_

Bone-like wings stretched outwards in the darkness, its trailing end illuminated by the remnants of the blue crystal rods. Its lengthy spiked tail uncurled itself to its full sweeping length while its menacing draconian skull grinned in satisfaction. It was finally alive.

With a giant flap of its wings, the bone-white skeletal creature pushed itself away. Its rows of engine rods glowed bright as they were put to work. It took only a few more pushes to reach its destination.

The Hulk paused in its wallowing madness as it perceived a bluish glow in the distance. His puzzlement quickly turned to rage as some dark ancient monster began to approach him with a speed that left him apprehensive. Raising his arms, he was about to smash the bone dragon's snout only for the thing to pull upwards at the last moment. The creature flew around him, circling him and examining him. The Green Scar raged against the blue apparition, whishing he could push himself against the empty space to close in on the annoying thing to smash it apart.

'_HULK WANT TO SMASH SKELETON THINGIE!'_

The skeleton was aware of the Hulk's frustration, but it was also addicted to its anger. It could not help itself but drown on the mindless rage. Only after a great effort did it manage to push aside its hunger to be able to regain its wits. The dragon stopped circling around, facing the Hulk just out of its very reach. Its eyes glowed in hungry blue as it stared directly in the Hulk's green gaze.

"_I know you, Hulk. You don't want to smash me. You want to smash your enemies and your traitors. Those who call you monsters, such as Iron Man or the Sorcerer Supreme."_

'_HULK NO CARE! HULK WANT SMASH SKELETON THINGIE __**NOW**__!'_

"_You do not want to smash me. Who can take you away from this empty darkness and deliver you back to your enemies for you to smash?"_

'_HULK NOT GET CAUGHT UP IN LIES! HULK SMASH LIERS!'_

Undeterred, the stone dragon started to move. This time it didn't merely circle close to its desired handler. It flew back and forth, fast and slow, as far as the eye could reach and as close as the Hulk's breath could touch before darting away with speed to evade an attack.

"_Do you not see, great one? I can fly where you cannot. Accept me and I will take you anywhere you want. Merely ask and I can take you back to your Caiera."_

'_HOW… How you know of Caiera?'_

"_I am like you. My body comes from your ship. My mind comes from everyone who was ever close to the ship, but none defines me more than you. __My desires are yours. Use me. Order me. Make me fight. I will rip and tear anything you put in front of me."_

The Hulk, largely unconvinced, let a small amount of hope seep away his anger. He was not stupid. The stone ship would have come back by now if it could. There was no other way to return to his beloved Caiera if he would smash his only means of transportation. Though he wasn't naïve either.

'_What is your price?'_

"_I want… I want to be used. The ship is my mother. The ship had longed for millions of years to be pulled from the earth and fly amongst the birds and stars. No one but you had recognized her worth. None had the courage to free her from her prison. Now I ask of you to use me as you have __used my parents. Let me grow stronger by sharing your emotions with me. I will serve you and your line as your loyal tool and companion."_

'…_Hulk must think. Hulk not trust you.'_

"_Your will is mine. I will stay by your side to eternity until you accept my service." _And with that, the wyrm receded into the darkness, leaving the Hulk to contemplate his options in solitude.

* * *

The council, as they called themselves, was a collection of several high-ranking Imperials who had made it to the ship. They represented the former senior powers in the Red King's administration – and for a short time the Green King's administration as well. However, it was not as if they had the choice to serve under the Green King, especially now that he had been exposed as the Worldbreaker and caused the wholesale destruction of Sakaar. That alone made the green monster ineligible to rule their people any longer.

That one of the Green King's filthy companions, Elloe Kaifi, dared to usurp their authority was an even greater slight. The whelp was barely in her twenties. She was a talent in sports and athletics, but had no _real _experience in ruling an empire. How dare she proclaim their collective skills in management and politicking as useless, then assign highborn nobles demeaning tasks such as sweeping corridors or picking fruits. The old families would not subject themselves under servants, or worse, former slaves and alien scum.

The need to act was established quickly after it was evident that the brash young Imperial did not intend to back away. Contacts were carefully screened to select those who not only held a sufficient former status, but also lost much in the transition. Only a handful, twenty-five, remained, but that was enough.

The first meeting was held in careful seclusion. Many complaints were uttered about the warbound dictators and Elloe in particular. Amongst the council, none were sympathetic to her policies. The decision to overthrow the usurping warbound was unanimous. That not every surviving noble was included in the council was moot.

The next issue was a stumbling block. A small but very vocal minority advocated taking action at the earliest opportunity. Led by Ronan Ierfi, his faction proposed a plan that involved stealing explosives and even Deathfire Bombs and place them along the ship. It was known that the Green King, or at least his vessel, was recovering in the royal chambers. It would have been easy to dispose of him if they could hold off the warbound. After the monster's removal, it would be a simple effort to force the warbound into surrender by threatening to destroy the entire ship. Not ideal, but workable.

Naturally, not many dared to risk their lives behind such a threat. While most Imperials, Natives and Shadow People seemed content to involve themselves in mundane tasks, the warbound owed the allegiance of many former enemies of the Red King. Those loyal to the Green King took up policing and military tasks, granting them near-exclusive access to high-quality weapons and armor. Though those who feared or resented the Green King were numerous, few actually dared to raise a hand against him. Manpower was their most serious disadvantage.

Time was needed for the council to recruit more like-minded Imperials and mold them into soldiers. The council members couldn't do all the dirty work themselves. The problem was while the majority of the ship's refugees were fellow Imperials, there were predominately inclined to the warbound's insane policies of equality. Careful inquiries through references had to be made in order to prevent their movement from being prematurely exposed. Tens of dissatisfied Imperials were trickling in their folds each day, but hundreds were flocking instead to the Shadow Queen's new society.

The council wasn't stupid. The more time went on, the more the lost people sought to find a place within the new administration. A month from now and half the population would be firmly in the sway of Elloe and her radical rule. They had to strike fast before the tide would turn against them. At least, that was what Senator Ronan and his faction had urged. The majority of the council members, unaccustomed to having to decide such reckless action in such short a period, merely dithered amongst themselves. They had never suspected that Ronan would take unilateral action, and when the explosions started to erupt throughout the ship, the council members knew.

Knowing that should Ronan and his radicalists would fail, the warbound would scour the entire ship for any remaining traitors amongst the ship. Survivors of Ronan's clique would break under torture and reveal each and every council member's name. Cornered into action, the council members rallied their own meager troops in order to aid the radicalists from wresting control of the ship from the warbound. Though they did not intend to cast their die, their hands were forced. Now they had to wait in calm unease as word of actions came through the jury-rigged communications net.

"…"

Nothing.

"Why is the device malfunctioning?"

"I know not."

The steady stream of combat chatter abruptly stopped and was replaced with static. Confused operators tinkered with the communications equipment, but whatever settings they used, nothing came.

Eventually one aged Imperial spoke up. "We are being jammed."

The chaos that erupted was staggering. Politicians didn't like it when plans went awry, and each and every one of them feared the worst.

"SILENCE!"

Everyone whipped their heads towards the entrance of the chamber, which should have been closed but was not. The stern-faced guards were gone, and in their place was a small contingent of Black Hand Guards. The most terrifying sight however was Caiera herself, unbound and proud in her regal glory. The council members all inched back in terrifying fright.

"How can this be! I thought the whore queen was enslaved!"

Caiera smirked in a mixture of fury and amusement. "Did you think your oh-so-precious control gems could withstand the might of the Old Power? Stone is my domain! You have _nothing_ that can harm us."

And with a wave of her hand, the entire chamber glowed blue in power as rocks pulled loose from the floor and struck the rifles held by the councilor's guards.

"Now, your pathetic rebellion is at an end. Did you think you could hold the entire ship hostage with a Deathfire bomb? Wrenching away the control was child's play."

"Milady!" An elderly Imperial spoke as he went down his knees. "Forgive us, oh rightful queen! We did not mean to—"

"I care nothing for your pathetic excuses!" The queen proclaimed, fury burning in her eyes. "The moment your faction cast out my beloved out in the void was the moment that you had condemned yourselves!"

The myriad of excuses that the upstanding men were trying to give were met with stolid refusals. Nothing swayed her mind as she looked upon the men in disgust. It did not matter that they wrought more destruction than was necessary. It did not matter that they attempted to put their own race above all others. Only her beloved mattered.

"I give you one more chance to redeem yourselves and your lives." She finally stated as the bickering amongst the councilors ended. "If there are any of you who knows where the Green King has been left or know a way to retrieve him, speak so now, and I shall grant you mercy in my name. Do so now, or face the consequences."

Sadly, none in their midst knew the exact coordinates. The saboteurs were thorough in their mischief.

* * *

After the rebellion was squashed, the parties quickly repaired the damage. The corridors proved easy enough to clean up, as most of the ancient stone could adhere itself back with some help of the Old Power. Critical electronics proved more difficult to fix as there was a lot of sabotage, but the wildebots proved meticulous in cleaning up the Imperials' crude handiwork. As they wanted the ship to be functional again when they took over control, they restrained themselves from taking only critical parts, avoiding irreparable damage whenever possible.

The appalling amounts of destruction caused by the fires did not endear the rebels to the natives and the Shadow People, let alone the uninvolved Imperials themselves. In less than a Sakaarian day Elloe Kaifi was now the undisputed leader of the Imperials. With much of the senior nobility and administrators gone, there was no powerful personality left with a legitimate claim to rule. That did not mean that all the malcontents were gone, nor the most capable of them either. Those with more cunning or wisdom had guessed correctly that the councilor's rebellion was doomed from the start. No, their time would come much later, when the weakness of the Shadow Queen was much more apparent.

"Our time will come soon."

"The Elloe bitch is inexperienced. She is an athlete, a socialite, not an administrator."

These voices were at a vast minority as most of the ship's population bonded closer together in the chaos of the fires. Natives worked side by side with Imperials as they sought to extinguish the fires engulfing the precious Eleha'al vines. Shadow People brought containers of water from their safe corner of the ship to preserve the meager possessions of the Imperials. Even the wildebots had contributed by rigging water pipes and fire hoses. The mutual trust that the different races had forged during the rebellion was sealed by the efforts of reconstruction.

For the first time, Elloe received more applications than she could fill. Her sprawling hierarchy expanded to include clerks, secretaries, local leaders and foremen. Most of all, those with combat experience had joined en masse, providing the nucleus of the new defense force, led by the warbound themselves.

Though the Imperials still constituted much of its army, the other races chipped in as well. The natives, though inferior and more immature in many ways to the red-skinned humanoids, took their assigned tasks of policing and maintenance seriously. The Shadow People provided their own core of elite as spies or special forces, though they abhorred any modern weaponry too. None of the races trusted the wildebots completely, but their superiority in handling ship-based weaponry and other add-ons were undisputable.

Still, none of the progress mattered to Caiera. As soon as she had dealt with the rebel leaders, she went up to the command bridge and ordered ARCH-E to help her figure out where the Hulk was dumped. For three days and three nights she worked the ancient computers, discovering a fountain of hidden programs and logs that the wildebots enthusiastically dug in to enhance their control over the ship.

Caiera slammed her fist against the console. "Nothing! Still nothing!"

A calming hand rubbed her shoulder lightly. Hiroim the Shamed had investigated the appropriated navigation components himself, and he had to admit that the rebels were smart enough not to leave a trace.

"Milady, it has been too long. You have searched every memory store of every piece of stone on this ship, and none of them contain any logs or coordinates. There is nowhere else to search anymore. As much as it pains me to admit, you must put the needs of your people above your own. We have spent three whole days consuming our ever-dwindling supply of vines. The.. casualties have eased the pressure slightly, and their bodies provide a good amount of nutrients to the plants, but we must go underway right now or our buffer will shrink to nothing."

It was the hardest decision Caiera would take. She slept fitfully, visions of Holku in the darkness, reaching out to the stars, to her. She imagined him begging for her help, flailing wildly with his limbs in order to propel himself forward. Those images haunted her this night, and she had no doubt it would haunt her again and again, perhaps for the rest of her life.

But she was a queen, a monarch, a leader. She could not abandon the rest of the ship just to go off on a wild hunt in the vacuum between the galaxies. She would not go down as another tyrannical Red King. No, the time for suffering was past.

'_Forgive me, Holku. May you find your peace in the void.'_

The ancient vessel's propulsion crystals were newly repaired and realigned. The loss of some blue crystals proved to be a moderate disruption, cutting off about five percent of the ship's maximum acceleration. Still, the unknown rods glowed in their brightest blue as they propelled the vast ship in real space, sidestepping the laws of relativity almost entirely. The large irregular galaxy called the Large Magellanic Cloud was beckoning the stone ship, as if in welcome return.

Caiera's decision marked a turning point, not just for herself, but also for the remnants of Sakaar. As far as they knew, the people she had rescued were irreversibly cut off from the others who managed to escape. This new reality was so much different from theirs, yet there were many familiar fixtures still in place such as the galaxies around the missing Fornax galaxy.

With the migration to a different galaxy, her people needed to let go of their past as she had let go of her beloved. Mindful of the delicate nature of her intentions, she had charged the warbound to brainstorm amongst themselves on how to recast their miniature society.

Their results were enacted without modification. When the preparations were complete, she had gathered each and every Sakaarian survivor in the most open space of the massive central bay. Speakers had been hastily set up all around the room to ensure that each and every individual could hear her words.

At the very front, on top of a stone platform that she herself had erected, Caiera gazed at the thousands who looked up in curious anticipation at the events. There was no discontent, nor any annoyance. She imaged that word of her intentions had somehow slipped out already, but that was no disaster. It might have even eased any potential tension that could have emerged.

"Fellow survivors of Sakaar." She began in her powerful voice, shushing the chamber into silence. She had forgone her robes to don her armor for this occasion, which carried its own connotations. "From the destruction of the beautiful planet of Sakaar, our way of life is at an end. Past grievances and past ways of life have no meaning aboard this ship. Resources are short, but there are many mouths to feed. We cannot afford to wage war amongst ourselves as we have done in the past, lest we tear the entire foundation of this ship. No more will we tolerate any continuation of any conflicts, and no more will anyone earn any privileges that they have not worked hard to obtain. Nobility, slavery, oppression; none of these do we tolerate any longer!"

A great shout of approval erupted from the crowd.

"We need a new way of life and a new way of governing. We are tenacious survivors, the golden remnants of a great and savage world. Our home world might be lost, but its legacy remains in this very vessel. We are in a new reality now, doubtlessly filled with threats and opportunities. This is no time to be soft! Therefore, I, Caiera the Oldstrong, Queen of the Green Scar, now christen this old and venerable spaceship as the _Sakaarson_!"

After a humongous roar, she continued with her announcements. A new government was instituted, the Hegemony of Sakaarson, with the absent Green Scar and the present Caiera as the absolute Hegemons. "No longer will the Green Scar and I be regarded in the same way the Red King was regarded as. The Imperial Empire has collapsed on itself and is no more. The rampant abuse and tyranny of the Red King and his army of sycophants will be a thing of the past. We measure worth by our abilities, not by our parents or our race. For the Hegemony!"

The cry started slow and haggard, but quickly picked up in enthusiasm. "For the Hegemony!"

The council of the warbound formed the practical ruling and advising body of the infant hegemony. In addition, Elloe, No-Name, Hiroim and ARCH-E were all placed in charge of the four different races that inhabited the ship. The Shadow People didn't find much to cheer, but Hiroim had gradually earned back some measure of respect.

The multi-racial defense force took on the official name of the Hegemony Annihilation Force. Its primary purpose was not to defend the ship and the few thousands left alive. Nor was it designed to explore new worlds suitable for settlement.

"No." Caiera spoke with conviction, trying to look at each and every person in the eye. "As the descendants of Sakaar, we know how it is to live in a world of violence. We know how to fight and we know how to kill. Our purpose and our legacy is not just to survive, it is to take revenge. For as long as any human exist, we will _strive_ to destroy their homes, salt their farms and hunt each and every pink-skinned weakling to extinction! The spirit of Sakaar expects nothing less from you all!"

The men and women all cried out in response. "KILL ALL HUMANS!"

"KILL ALL HUMANS!"

"KILL ALL HUMANS!"

The very magnitude of her people's anger made the Oldstrong Hegemon smirk in satisfaction. For as long as she was in power, she would strive to hunt down each and every human, no matter their innocence in the destruction of Sakaar. The entire race was poisoned from the very start of their existence. The galaxy would have been in a much better place if these infernal people would never exist. Nothing poisoned the well of the universes more than these savage monkeys behaving as if they were the pinnacle of civilization. The sheer amount of power that only a few hundreds of their 'superheroes' and 'supervillains' possessed was enough to shiver any nonhuman's mind.

Not that she was even certain that they would encounter any humans in this strange new universe. Caiera was just practical enough to realize that even though the universe was unimaginably vast, the odds that the human race existed in any form in just a single galaxy were infinitely small. Though in her very soul she had made a vow to slay every human being, she was not about to conduct a fruitless search around the entire universe. Nor would she go on a fool's quest to find a way back to their own universe to seek out the humans who created the deadly spaceship that sundered Sakaar.

The remnants of her people had to find their own destiny now in this new and unfamiliar reality, and if it took simple hatred to bind them together, she would gladly exploit it. Years of dealing with inter-race strife and warfare wouldn't disappear in an instant, even after the failed rebellion. That only got rid of the stupid and impatient dissenters. No, the real threat would come in years at least, when her rule seemed all but assured.

If she couldn't nip the buds at this early stage, then at least she could try her best to minimize their base of support by redirecting her people's capacity for anger outwards. The children of Sakaar couldn't never settle peacefully in some quiet world and forget the past. The anger and sadness of her people needed to be directed away from itself, and that was the main reason why she recast Red King's Imperium as the Hegemony. That was something she didn't tell the others of the warbound. Only Hiroim was wise enough to realize her omission, but her brief nod kept his mouth sealed shut.

"The universe shall know and fear the name of _Sakaar_."

The inner cavern reverberated the shouts of her people as if the _Sakaarson_ herself approved.

* * *

**End Notes: **Keep in mind that I am likely not going to update this story any further.


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